Life Goes On
by TheNewJefferson
Summary: Coffee Shop AU Claire and Frank have some loose ends to tie up.


Terrible summary, I know. Let me know what you think!

Thanks to Mistykins06 for all of her help!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

* * *

Coffee shops can be deafening. The chatter that fills the air has the power to overwhelm anyone, but at the same time, coffee shops can be a safe haven for secrets to be told, friends to reminisce, or for couples to fall deeper in love.

They're good for people watching too and Claire was doing just that as she sipped her coffee. She glanced back at Jamie who had his head leaned back, phone to his ear, waiting for his sister to finish whatever tirade she was on. He brought his other hand up and rubbed his eyes. Claire looked back around, categorizing people. So far she had found a group of University students, one group was getting on swimmingly, the others seemed to be getting off on the wrong foot. There was a couple off in the corner and an older man sitting off by himself reading. Just as she was about to start making stories for people when she heard Jamie make his goodbyes.

"Send her my love," she said.

"Claire sends her love. Yeah. Yes." Jamie smirked at Claire and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Janet. Goodbye." He finally hung up the phone and set it face down on the table. "Lord almighty, that woman can talk."

"What did she want?" Claire laced their fingers together when he reached across the table.

"She says we're to visit Lallybroch next weekend. She has news."

"Mmm we all know what that will be," Claire said, taking a sip of her coffee.

Jamie gave her a knowing look and sipped his own coffee. He looked around the shop and his eyes stopped at the table behind Claire. He glanced back at Claire who was watching the traffic outside of the window.

"Will ye be able to get off? You work next weekend, don't you?"

"I do, but Joe owes me a few shifts. I'm sure he won't care." She looked back at him and noticed him glancing behind her. She squeezed his hand, pulling his attention back to her. "You're not worried about Jenny are you?"

He smiled. "Nah, I'm sure she's going to have another baby. It's been a few years since wee Jamie was born and I know she's been itching to have another one."

"We're on the same wavelength then." She released her hand from his and scooted back in her seat. She propped her feet on the bench beside Jamie. He reached down and rested his hand just below her knee. "So, what do you think the story is behind the couple in the corner?"

He turned to look at them and stared for a moment. "I think he can't decide if he's up for a relationship yet, the girl is in it for the long haul." He looked back to Claire and smiled. She smiled back and looked around again. When she looked back to Jamie, she saw him glancing behind her again.

"Jamie, what do you keep looking at?" Claire asked, preparing to turn around. Jamie quickly looked back to her and took her hands on top of the table. He gently ran his thumb across her knuckles. "What is it?" A worried expression settled on her face.

"Frank"

"What?" Claire tried to pull her hands away, but Jamie wouldn't let them go. She turned and sure enough, there was her ex-husband sitting at a tall table. He looked up and their eyes met. His eyebrows creased in instant confusion, then he smiled at her. Claire quickly turned back to face Jamie. His face showed nothing but concern.

"Do you want to leave?"

She shook her head. "No, he controlled my life for long enough."

"Fair enough, though I should warn you, he looks like he's about to come over here."

"What? No!"

Sure enough, Frank appeared at their table a few minutes later.

"Hello Claire."

She looked at Jamie who squeezed her hands in response. He released one of them and rested his on her knee again. "Hello Frank." She sat up but kept the leg Jamie was holding resting on the bench. "Small world. What are you doing in Scotland?"

"Oh, you know, research for a book I'm writing. Hoping to get some family research done as well."

"Still looking for the elusive Black Jack Randall? It's been how many years since you hit a dead end with him?" Claire responded sharply. Jamie squeezed her leg as he took a sip of coffee. She glanced at him then back at Frank "You said you're writing a book?"

"You remembered. It's been about 10 years," Frank said with a small laugh. "I'm writing a book about the '45. It's in the early stages but it should be out within a few years."

"How could I forget, he's all you talked about for 5 years." A shadow passed across Frank's face, but it quickly passed. "Well, I hope everything with your book works out." Claire took a sip of coffee and glanced at Jamie, who was watching her. She looked back to Frank. He looked at Jamie and back to Claire. She sighed and sat up straighter, pulling her leg from beside Jamie. "Frank, this is my fiancé Jamie."

Jamie reached out a hand to Frank. He looked from Jamie to Claire with a look of astonishment on his face. He shook his head, finally remembering his manners. "Frank Randall, nice to meet you."

"Jamie Fraser." Jamie gave his hand a good shake and released it.

"I've heard that name before." Frank said, scratching the back of his hand. Claire mumbled something under her breath neither man could understand. Jamie gave her a quizzical look, Frank ignored it. "Are you the Fraser that owns Malcolm Press?"

Jamie smiled, "Aye, I am."

"That's an impressive setup you've got there. I had actually considered it when deciding on a publisher, but it wasn't logical to use a Scottish publisher when I'm based in London."

"That's true, but if you're writing a book about the '45, it might have been a good move to use a Scottish publisher," Jamie retorted.

"You do have a point, Mr. Fraser. Anyway, I'll leave you two alone. It was nice to meet you." Frank said, shaking Jamie's hand again. "Lovely to see you, Claire."

She opened her mouth to respond but he walked away before she could take a breath. Jamie sat back down, watching Frank go back to his table. "I guess I expected something different."

"Oh, he's not done yet. Give him five minutes and he'll be over here again," Claire said as she hugged her coffee.

Jamie reached across and held her wrist. "Are ye alright, Sassenach?"

She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it, "I will be, yes."

They sipped their respective coffees in a comfortable silence, until Claire's ran out.

"Here let me get you another one, I've been eyeing those scones anyway," Jamie said when he noticed. "Unless you want me to stay."

She took a deep breath, "no, I need to face him."

Jamie got up and leaned down to kiss her temple before he went to the counter. As he stood in the queue, he watched Frank go to Claire. The old man appeared behind him.

"What's the story there, lad?"

Jamie glanced down at him, then back to Claire and Frank, who had taken his seat across from Claire. "That's my fiancées ex-husband. You could say things ended badly and she hasn't seen or talked to him since the divorce was finalized"

The old man whistled in response. "I don't envy you. You've my respect for letting her handle it though. Most men would be afraid they'd go back to them."

"Claire's a strong woman," Jamie laughed. "Stronger than either one of them realize. She'll be fine. Besides this is something I can't help her with."

—-—

"Mind if I sit?" Claire looked up to see Frank looking at her expectantly.

"I suppose not"

He sat across from her and looked around. The seat was still unnervingly warm causing him to squirm slightly. He had been so sure of himself when he came over here. "I, um, I don't think….things didn't….I'm sorry, Claire." He reached across for her hands about to grab them. She gave him a sharp look and he awkwardly moved his hands back. "I know that doesn't even begin to make up for what I did, but Claire if there is anything I can do to earn your forgiveness, please tell me. You've moved on. You're happy, a blind man could see that. I don't want to take that away from you, I just want to know that we're ok."

"Frank, did you ever actually realize what you did? Did it ever cross your mind that you cheating wasn't the only reason I left?"

"What I did? Claire, what are you talking about?"

She finally really looked at him. He honestly had no clue. She chuckled, but there was no humor in it. She reached for her coffee cup, forgetting for a moment it was empty. She sighed and put back down as she leaned back.

"Frank, when we went to France, who wanted to go?"

"Well, I did. There was an exhibit at the Louvre…" he responded, a confused expression on his face.

"Yes, and when we flew to Boston..."

"I was speaking at the University."

"RIght. Do you remember when that surgeon was speaking in Edinburgh and I wanted to go listen to him, since we were in the city anyway?"

"Yes."

"What reason did you give for us not going?"

"If we're honest, I had no interest in going." he said matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Claire said, leaning forward slightly. "Whenever we got take out, you always wanted Chinese and I always wanted Indian. We always got..." She looked at him expectantly.

"Chinese."

"Why?"

Frank huffed and rolled his eyes. "Claire, where are you going with this?"

"Why Frank?" Claire pushed.

"Claire, I don't understand what you're wanting from me."

"Dammit, yes you do!" She slammed her hand on the table and leaned forward, getting as close to him as possible, her voice fading to a harsh whisper. "Who chose where we went, what we did, what we ate. You, Frank. Everything we ever did was about you. I was a puppet in that marriage."

"You never seemed to care." Frank whispered back, leaning forward as well. They were nose to nose now

"I wanted two things, Frank, only two. I wanted to be a doctor and most importantly, I wanted a husband that was proud of me. Proud of my mind, proud of what I accomplished. I wanted to be more than token on your arm."

"But a doctor, Claire?"

"Yes Frank, a doctor. I know how impossible that sounds to you." She leaned back and crossed her arms. "I needed out. You didn't love me; you loved the idea of me. You tried to mold me into what you thought a wife should be, but I wouldn't budge. Did you ever wonder why we fought so much?"

They stared at each other, neither one willing to budge. Finally Frank sighed and leaned his elbows on the table, head in his hands. "I didn't want to change you. You were wonderful. Are wonderful. I thought maybe you'd calm down once we settled, but you never did and I didn't know how to handle you. I never sought to control you. Please believe that." He leaned forward and took her hands. She let him. "He's good to you?"

Claire looked at his hands and how they fit with hers. It wasn't quite right. His hands weren't small, but they were delicate. She put her hand on top of his and looked him in the eye. "He is. He's wonderful, actually."

Frank smiled sadly, "He's everything I wasn't. It's alright. We weren't right for each other, I know that now," he sighed again, squeezed her hands and stood. "I'm glad you're happy, Claire. I really am. I wish you all the best."

"I wish the same for you, Frank." She responded in turn.

He walked back to his table and sat down. She looked from him to Jamie, who was making his way back to her, coffee and scone in hand. She took her coffee as he sat down.

"Everything get worked out?" He asked, taking a bite out of his scone.

"You know I love you, don't you?"

"Aye, _mo neighan donn,_ you've mentioned it here and there," He chuckled.

"I suppose I have," Claire smiled, "yes, I think he finally understood. I don't think we'll ever be friends, but I feel like things are finally settled."

"Good, so should I warn ye that he's coming back over?"

Claire turned and watched Frank walk back toward them, his things in hand. "I've got a meeting to get to. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Fraser."

"You as well, Mr. Randall," Jamie said, shaking his outstretched hand.

Frank turned to Claire, reaching out his hand. "It was lovely to see you again."

"And you." She stood up and gave him a hug. "I wish you luck with your book."

"Oh, thank you, thank you," he said as she sat back down. "Well, I guess this is farewell, Miss Beauchamp."

"It's Doctor now, actually," She smirked into her coffee.

Frank chuckled, "of course it is," he said as he walked away.

Claire watched him walk away. When he was out of the door, she looked back to Jamie who was giving her a mischievous smile.

"Well, Dr. Beauchamp soon to be Fraser, what are we going to do now?"

She smiled and ran her foot up his leg, "oh, I don't know, did you have something in mind."

"I've a few ideas"

"Let me guess, they all involve a bed."

"Nah, one includes a shower," he smirked.

"Oh, forgive me," she asked dramatically.

Jamie chuckled as he stood and held out his hand to her. "I think I shall. I might need to be persuaded first though."

"I think I might could manage that." She grabbed her bag from beside her and stood. She laced their fingers together and pulled him to the door.

The old man watched them through the window, walking hand in hand, ready to face the world.


End file.
